The Unstoppable, Amazing, Grace The Unstoppable, Amazing, Grace

Just before Grace’s youngest child, Peter, was born, the young mother had to make the difficult choice to move herself and her sons from their family home.

Just before Grace’s youngest child, Peter, was born, the young mother had to make the difficult choice to move herself and her sons from their family home.

“This left them landless, homeless, and in extreme poverty,” says Stephen, a worker in Chalice’s Baraka site in Kenya.

“This left them landless, homeless, and in extreme poverty,” says Stephen, a worker in Chalice’s Baraka site in Kenya.

Grace was now a single mother with no income.

Grace was now a single mother with no income.

The children’s grandmother offered Grace a small piece of land. The women’s guild at her local church chipped in to build the family a small, one-room house. They lived there for the next 10 years.

The children’s grandmother offered Grace a small piece of land. The women’s guild at her local church chipped in to build the family a small, one-room house. They lived there for the next 10 years.

children a mattress through the Chalice gift catalogue.

children a mattress through the Chalice gift catalogue.

Grace got started with her family circle, which was called – fittingly – Amazing Grace. There she learned to make a budget, start a savings plan, and participate in the group’s small savings and loans program.

Grace got started with her family circle, which was called – fittingly – Amazing Grace. There she learned to make a budget, start a savings plan, and participate in the group’s small savings and loans program.

With savvy management of Peter’s sponsorship funds, she bought spinach seeds. With a small loan from her group, she rented a water pump to irrigate her crops.

With savvy management of Peter’s sponsorship funds, she bought spinach seeds. With a small loan from her group, she rented a water pump to irrigate her crops.

profits.

profits.

As her farming business became successful, Grace never forgot her goal: a better house for her family. Finally, she had saved enough to make it happen.

As her farming business became successful, Grace never forgot her goal: a better house for her family.

Finally, she had saved enough to make it happen.

When Peter was nine, a local leader recommended him for the Chalice sponsorship program.

When Peter was nine, a local leader recommended him for the Chalice sponsorship program.

When social workers went for a visit, they were dismayed by the family’s living conditions. They had no chairs. The children slept on cartons instead of a bed. The same room served as the living, sleeping, and cooking area.

When social workers went for a visit, they were dismayed by the family’s living conditions. They had no chairs. The children slept on cartons instead of a bed. The same room served as the living, sleeping, and cooking area.

One of the first things the Baraka staff did, after securing Peter’s enrolment in the sponsorship program, was to give the

One of the first things the Baraka staff did, after securing Peter’s enrolment in the sponsorship program, was to give the

The spinach crops flourished. She was able to sell 16 bags at roughly $20 Cdn each. This meant more than 500 percent profit on her initial investment!

The spinach crops flourished. She was able to sell 16 bags at roughly $20 Cdn each. This meant more than 500 percent profit on her initial investment!

As Stephen describes it, Grace was now unstoppable.

As Stephen describes it, Grace was now unstoppable.

“With the spinach profit, Grace was able to grow and produce 1,300 cabbages,” he says, which sold for about a $600 Cdn profit.

“With the spinach profit, Grace was able to grow and produce 1,300 cabbages,” he says, which sold for about a $600 Cdn profit.

“She reinvested part of the money to grow onions,” Stephen says. She doubled her cabbage

“She reinvested part of the money to grow onions,” Stephen says. She doubled her cabbage

“This profit enabled Grace to purchase her own petrol-powered water pump, purchased 32 iron sheets, and timbers and built a nice house,” says Stephen. “With her small-scale farming, Grace was able to buy all the building materials and foot the construction charges. She has been able to construct a spacious 3-roomed house, where now they are living comfortably.”

“This profit enabled Grace to purchase her own petrol-powered water pump, purchased 32 iron sheets, and timbers and built a nice house,” says Stephen. “With her small-scale farming, Grace was able to buy all the building materials and foot the construction charges. She has been able to construct a spacious 3-roomed house, where now they are living comfortably.”

Grace is short of words to thank Chalice donors, and Baraka for her new house.

Grace is short of words to thank Chalice donors, and Baraka for her new house.

“She owes all her gratitude to God who brought donors to her life which has drastically improved her living standards,” says Stephen. “Grace is now a happy empowered mother with great hopes of educating her children for a better tomorrow.”

“She owes all her gratitude to God who brought donors to her life which has drastically improved her living standards,” says Stephen. “Grace is now a happy empowered mother with great hopes of educating her children for a better tomorrow.”